Review: Union Kitchen Memorial

Paul Miller, restaurateur and Chef Juan Arellano partnered back in 2010 to open Union Kitchen on Bellaire Boulevard.  They opened to great reviews but were in many ways a largely undiscovered treasure that circulated mainly by word of mouth.  Fast forward 2 years and now their reputation of making colossal burgers and enticing appetizers called Hawaiian Tostadas, mixed with a nearly always full parking lot has had them on my radar for some time.  Jack Tyler gave them a fabulous review last month.  I finally broke down after a student of mine mentioned that they'd opened a location on Memorial Drive and Tallowood in a strip mall next to a Rice Epicurean market and I read their Lunch menu.

Per their website:

The aforementioned Colossal Union Burger

The Idea: While at Purdue my meeting spot with friends and teammates was the student union. I want the connotation of the name to be a place to come together with friends and family. Obviously we have to have good food and drink to bring our friends back.

The Concept: “Our concept is global cuisine. The Chef and I go to the farmers market twice a week to source out the freshest ingredients, and develop the most appealing menu possible.”

Our Slogan: Global Cuisine with Southern Hospitality

Okay.  I'm sold.  Off I wentto pay them a long over due visit, but I ended up visiting them twice in a week as I had their Union Burger for lunch and then had a Sunday Brunch with them as well.  So without further ado here are your meal blueprints:

Lunch Visit:
The Union Burger:
A half-pounder stacked with Thick Cut Onion Rings, topped with Cheddar, Swiss, Pecan Smoked Bacon and Smoked BBQ Aioli on a Whole Wheat Bun


Jack Tyler Dines gave The Union Burger a good review and I agree with him on it wholeheartedly.  This was a big meaty burger.  I ordered mine medium and it was cooked to a proper medium--hot pink center, slightly charred on the outside, some mostly brown juice coming out, not dry.  The vegetables were quite crisp and fresh, not mushy and the meat was well seasoned, but not overly so.  The pecan smoked bacon was thick, crunchy and semi-sweet.  The onion rings had some kind of sweet onions that were non-sulphury, but I couldn't find out if they were Texas Sweet Yellow Onions or Vidalia onions.  Whatever is the case, they were HUGE and quite delicious.  The house-made potato chips were quite crispy and not salty.  Overall a very satisfying and enjoyable lunch.

Brunch Visit:
Tejas Eggs Benedict:
Masa Cake Topped with Chorizo Potato Hash, Chipotle Hollandaise, Poached Eggs & Cotija Cheese

Garden Omelet 
Fresh Herbs tossed with Shallots, Garlic, Mushrooms, Tomato, Avocado & Swiss

The Union Breakfast:
2 Eggs your way, Choice of Pecan Smoked Bacon, Canadian Bacon, or Sausage Patties, Potato Hash and choice of bread

Tejas Eggs Benedict and Garden Omelet

The Tejas Eggs Benedict were just fabulous.  The Poached egg had a runny yolk and the umami-protein sense of the eggs melded well with the spicy sweetness of the Chipolte Hollandaise sauce and the savoury, spicy saltiness of the chorizio and the potato hash.  A real winner and a nice twist on Eggs Benedict.

The Garden Omelet had very fluffy egs folded over the vegetable mixture.  The fresh herbs gave the Omelet a nice garden freshness that worked well with the mushrooms and Swiss cheese.  The Avocados were properly ripe--very green, soft, but not too soft.

My kids shared The Union Breakfast and had 2 pancakes for their bread.  Everything was properly cooked, proper temperature and was completely eaten up.  We were also pleased that the Union Kitchen was serving REAL Maple Syrup and not that Maple-Flavoured High Fructose corn syrup junk that some restaurants serve at breakfast.  (This is a pet peeve of mine:  if you say Maple Syrup on your menu, it better be the REAL STUFF.  Otherwise you are LYING to your customer).

All dishes were beautifully plated and served hot, as well as promptly.

Service Notes:
On both visits I found the staff to be professional, attentive but not excessively or annoyingly so.  The staff is mostly dressed all in black much like Cactus Club Café and other nicer, high-end restaurants these days.  A manager was visible, circulating and helping support the staff, who were consistently backing each other up and making sure that drinks were kept filled and food was delivered promptly.  

Memorial Location,
former site of The
Hunan Empress

The Foodie Professor's Report Card on The Union Kitchen:

The Union Burger: A
Tejas Eggs Benedict: A+
Garden Omelet: A
The Union Breakfast: A

Service:  
     Speed: A+
     Friendliness: A+

Atmosphere:  High End but not too frou-frou, a solid A

Overall Grade:  A

I intend to visit The Union Kitchen again soon in order to try their small plates and give a report on them.

The Union Kitchen has two locations.  I visited the one at:

12538 Memorial Dr.
Houston, TX 77024
T. (713) 360-2000

Hours:
Mon-Thurs 11 am - 10 pm
Fri & Sat 10 am - 11 pm
Sun 10 am - 9 pm
Sunday Brunch - 10 am - 2 pm

And Remember:  Eat Happy!
Zao an, Y'all!